The first few months of motherhood can be tiring and stressful as a woman focuses on breastfeeding her baby in a bid to give her child the best start in life. But the value of exclusive breastfeeding is being called into question, with one doctor saying the pressure on women to do so is causing more harm than good.

Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as when a baby receives only breastmilk and is not fed any solid food or infant formula. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council currently recommends babies are exclusively breastfed until around six months, in line with World Health Organization guidelines.

He also believes introducing solids to a baby’s diet earlier than six months will help combat the sky-rocketing number of children being diagnosed with food allergies, and may even alleviate some cases of post-natal depression.

The nutritional benefits of exclusive breastfeeding

“Breastfeeding is extremely important and there are many clear and well-documented benefits to both mother and baby,” he says. “But the need for that breastfeeding to be exclusive is not as clear. I believe there are certain risks involved in exclusively breastfeeding until six months and delaying the introduction of solid food, particularly in relation to food allergies.”

Dr Symon, a father of four, has worked as a family physician for more than 30 years and now focuses almost exclusively on helping families with very young babies. After conducting a two year review of all research into feeding in the early months of a baby’s life, Dr Symon says there appears to be a “critical early window”, possibly as early as four to six months, when the human gut can learn to distinguish between good and bad proteins.

“Some studies suggest if we miss that window of opportunity and do not introduce certain foods, such as nuts and eggs, that is when there is a danger of an allergy developing because the gut has lost the ability to recognise the food as a good protein and instead has a negative reaction to it,” he says, pointing to evidence of lower allergy rates in countries where solid foods are introduced to babies earlier in life.

And what about Mum’s health?

A mother’s mental health as she tries to live up to the expectation she will exclusively breastfeed for six months is another important concern, according to Dr Symon.

“Post natal depression is reported to exist in up to 15 percent of all Australian mothers. As a clinician working with breastfeeding mothers on a daily basis, it is evident that some women are unable to meet the full energy needs of their child from their own milk. Children who do not start receiving complementary solids from four months of age are often hungry, sleepless and upset,” he says.

“Often if solids are introduced from four months, or the odd bottle is given to supplement breast-feeding, then mothers who are finding the pressure to exclusively breastfeed stressful will become more relaxed. This in turn can help them regain confidence and continue to breastfeed for longer.”

Not everyone is in agreement

“Breastmilk is constantly changing to meet an individual baby’s needs,” ABA spokesperson Meredith Laverty says. “A mother’s breastmilk changes constantly to meet the needs of her baby, it does not suddenly become useless at four months.”

Ms Laverty says post-natal depression is a complex issue, but argued that it could be treated through counselling and with the use of medication while continuing to breastfeed.

“Women with post-natal depression, just like all new mothers, need support to decide what is best for them and their family,” she said.

She said the ABA will continue to follow the NRHMC guidelines which were composed after extensive research into what was best for a baby’s long term health and development.

Do you feel the advice to exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first six months put you under undue pressure?

Breastfeeding is best for babies and provides many benefits. Combined breast and bottle feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of your own breast milk. Always consult your doctor, midwife or health care professional for advice about feeding your baby. This post is part of the Early Life Nutrition story.